4.6 Magnitude Quake Strikes Northern California, No Damage

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck northern California early Thursday morning, jolting residents awake across a wide region of the state but causing no reported damage or injuries. The quake, centered less than a mile from Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, occurred at 1:41 a.m. Pacific Time on April 2, 2026, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The epicenter lay about 27 miles southwest of San Jose and 65 miles southeast of San Francisco, in a rural area home to roughly 5,000 people. Shaking lasted a few seconds and was felt as far north as Sacramento and Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco, and as far south as King City and Fresno. Cities including Monterey, Oakland, Redwood City, Santa Cruz, and San Jose also reported tremors, with more than 25,000 "felt" reports submitted to the USGS. Many residents first received alerts on their phones before sensing the ground move, with some describing beds and windows rattling.

Initial assessments pegged the quake at magnitude 5.1 before revisions lowered it to 4.9 and then 4.6, at a depth of about 6.7 miles. Local fire departments, including those in San Mateo County and South San Francisco, activated...